Bright Pink Flames
by teh-ena
Summary: This is a story describing the change of heart that led to Remus and Tonks holding hands at the end of HBP. What could have made such a stubborn man change his mind, and what could have happened to make such a hurt woman let him in once more?


A/N: I wrote this a few years ago, but have just now gotten around to uploading it here. It's just a nice, short one-shot showing one way that things could have unfolded after the hospital scene in Half-Blood Prince. Criticism is greatly appreciated, as I'm trying to improve my writing.

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Remus watched Tonks leave the hospital wing, her shoulders hung low in defeat. He wondered for the billionth time if she would finally move on. He knew the answer was yes. They had fought each other for far too long.

Remus had wished over and over again for the day she would walk out of his life forever; the day she would finally realize that she could be so much happier with someone else. Of course he knew it would hurt. But he had prepared himself to move on, as well. To look on from the sidelines as she enjoyed her whole and happy life.

Now that the time had finally come, he wasn't so sure that he could take it after all. As Tonks walked out of that door, she took his heart with her, and any dreams he had ever had concerning his future. As she walked out that door, his world threatened to collapse. Suddenly, Remus realized just how much Tonks meant to him. She was his life and his future. His whole world orbited around her, and only her.

_What have I done? _Remus thought to himself as he fell into the nearest chair.

_You wanted her to move on,_ the traitorous part of his brain taunted. _You wanted her to find some young, rich, whole man that could give her the world. You wanted her to walk out of your life._

_But…what if only I can give her the world?_ Remus realized.

_You can't. Not anymore. You were afraid. Too afraid to lose yet another person close to your heart. You were being selfish by fighting her. You're a coward._

_No! It was for her own protection that I pushed her away. I was being noble._

_Coward._

Remus put his head in his hands, rubbing his temples. He knew that the little voice inside of his head was right. He was a coward. He had pushed away the most wonderful woman in the world, and in doing so, he had destroyed both of their lives. Neither could live happily whilst they were apart from each other. Neither could ever truly love another, not after having known the love that they shared.

"Go," Molly interrupted Remus' thoughts gently. "You've run from her for far too long, Remus. It's time you confronted your feelings. It's not too late."

He stared at her blankly. Finally, he opened his mouth to reply, only to find that he had no rebuttal. She was right. He loved Tonks and Tonks loved him. There was nothing else to be said. Neither truly cared for the arguments against them. It was time to face his fears.

Remus jumped up from his seat and shot out of the hospital wing, running down corridors as fast as he could in hopes of catching Tonks before she apparated home. For he knew that's where she would go. Tonks would return home, wallow in self-pity for a couple of hours, hoping with the last of her strength that the love of her life would chase her down. Then she would get mad when he didn't show and destroy her apartment in a fit of rage. Then, finally, she would move on.

And Remus couldn't let her do that.

As much as it would hurt if something ever happened to his Nymphadora, he would much rather have loved and died than to have lived and lied.

Remus raced out of Hogwarts' front doors, ignoring the crowd of bewildered students still standing at the foot of the tallest tower not too far away.

He saw the small figure of Tonks, slowly dragging her feet in defeat towards the entrance gates.

"Tonks!" Remus shouted frantically. He had to stop her before she left the grounds. Before she apparated out of his life forever.

She didn't stop. Instead, she quickened her pace.

"NYMPHADORA TONKS!" The scream was laced with regret and passion, and it was strong enough to stop Tonks in her tracks. She refused to turn around and look at him, though.

Remus stopped as well, still catching his breath, ten feet away from where she stood. Not caring about hundreds of his former students watching the spectacle with awe, Remus shouted, "Dora, I love you!"

That caused Tonks to spin around on the spot, staring at him with disbelief. He had run for so long, had confused her time and time again, that she no longer knew what to believe.

Remus raised him arms in defeat, and said, "I've been so very stupid. I love you, Nymphadora."

She still stood frozen on the spot.

Remus began walking towards her, closing the gap between them.

The change of position seemed to awaken Tonks' brain, and a bright smile spread across her pale face. He wasn't running from her. No, he was running to her.

Tonks broke out into a run, barreling into Remus' chest. He picked her up; spinning her around as she laughed joyfully, giving off every appearance that she was the pixie he had so often called her a year ago.

When he set her down, she wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, burying her face in his chest.

"I love you, Dora," Remus repeated quietly as he stroked her still-mousy brown hair.

Tonks pulled her head away so she could look at him. Her deep brown eyes were filled with tears as she whispered, "I love you, too, you great idiot. Just _please_ don't ever leave me again."

"Oh, Dora," Remus stroked her cheek, wiping the tears away. "I'm so sorry. I was so stupid. I promise I'll never leave your side again. Well, not voluntarily, at least."

Tonks smiled at him through her tears.

Blue eyes twinkling, Remus dipped down to kiss her. Tonks wrapped her arms around his neck and responded fiercely to his kiss.

This was the moment they had both been dreaming of for almost a year now. Despite the sadness that had occurred tonight, this was a blissful moment of happiness. This was heaven.

So engrossed were they with each other, neither heard the crowd of students cheering them on. Nor did they notice that with the kiss, Tonks' hair flared pink, the color spreading from the roots down as if her hair had just ignited in bright pink flames.


End file.
